"H". Grueling performances by two actors in a basement apartment. Lean setting with focus on the dependent relationship of the man and woman when one decides to quit heroin. Such intensity of acting it will leave you sweating.

Another pretty good movie with graphic depictions of the drug scene is Salton Sea with Val Kilmer.

try Permenent Midnight and if you want a depiction of alcoholism pick up Barfly starring Mickey Rourke in one of his all-time great roles.(makes Nick Cages drunk in Leaving Las Vegas look like a lightweight

If you can, check out, "Last Exit" - a powerful new low budget thriller from Denmark. It deals with a relationship where heroine, alcohol and weed are used daily to numb there non-existance lives. There is also a back story of gangters and hookers...Shot in a very gritty realistic style, it's a quirky, surreal and quite disturbing. Check out the official homepage www.lastexitproductions.dk/lastexit.html for more info.

Two great documents: "THROUGH A BLUE LENSE" (Canada 2001) Vancouver police has filmed the life of drug users in the streets of Vancouver. "GRASS" (Canada 2000) Takes a look at the (US) history of marijuana, or rather the politics involving it.. And I mentioned the "ADDICT" book earlyer, I should have mentioned that it's the real life story of "a twenty-six year drug and drink horror trip from riches to insanity in the gutter" of the author, Stephen Smith. It should b screened 2003, so everybody should have plenty of time to READ THE BOOK..;-)